The present invention relates to an electronic musical instrument which has an improved touch response function.
Typical electronic musical instruments have an initial touch response function for controlling a tone volume and a tone color in accordance with a key depression speed and an after touch response function for controlling a tone volume and a tone color in accordance with a key depression strength during key depression. Thus, delicate expressions can be added to musical tones produced upon key operations of a performer.
Upon performance of an acoustic musical instrument, when a variety of operation methods are adopted, various expressions can be provided to musical tones produced therefrom. The electronic musical instrument can realize a performance expression resembling that of acoustic musical instruments by means of the touch response function described above.
A conventional electronic musical instrument which weights touch data detected upon key operation in correspondence with a tone color has been proposed, as disclosed in Japanese Publication No. 59-113493. When the tone color of a musical tone changes, the sensitivity of a touch response (to be referred to as a touch sensitivity hereinafter) is updated accordingly, thereby providing a touch response effect to the musical tone as natural as possible.
However, in the conventional electronic musical instrument, the touch sensitivity of the touch response is fixed as data (factory set data) which has been preset in a factory upon manufacture of the electronic musical instrument. Therefore, even if a performer wants to perform music by changing a touch sensitivity as needed, the touch response function does not provide satisfactory effects for the performer who needs full expressions.